Cooled contact rectifier



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Nov. 7, 1939. c. c. HEIN COOLED CONTACT RECTIFIER Filed Aug. 25, 1938 Patented Nov. 7, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,119,293 7 v COOLED CONTACT RECTIFIER Carl C. Hein, Forest Hills, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric 86 Manufacturing Company, East-Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 25, 1938, Serial No. 226,645

3 Claims.

My invention relates to contact rectifiers and especially copper oxide contact rectiflers.

t I An object of the invention is to provide effective cooling for contact rectifier The useful life of a contact rectifier utilized for the conversion of alternating current into direct current is; a function of the operating temperature. t I

A high temperature of operation meansrapid depreciation and short life while, on the other hand, low temperature of operation means slow,

depreciation and consequent long life. Design practice is to specify a maximum operating temperature. If this is 45 C. and the ambient-tem- 1 perature is 30", there is only a gradient between the two. This necessarily limits the output to a conservative valve because of the small difference between'the two temperatures. .1 have ,devised various modifications whereby with water cooling the gradient is increased. Flowing water at 15 C. with its greater gradient will provide more rapid heat transfer and the stream of water will more rapidly remove this heat from the rectifier at-a much greaterrate than in the 5 prior art with a resultant increase of output of the order. of 10 fold so that currents of the order of 'amperes average direct current are obtained with a -1%'-lnch copper oxide element operating at the temperature range nowdsed in design specifications." r t The preferred. embodiments of my invention are disclosed in the drawing and these modifications will also illustrate particular advantages of my invention 1 Figure 1 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in cross sectionof a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional'view taken on lines II-II of Fig. 1';

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a m'odiijlcation of my invention;'

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of another modification ofmy invention: V

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of a still further 45 modification-of the invention; and v Fig. 6 is a front eievational view thereof.

In Figure l is illustrated :the double plate or disk II with an electronically conducting com-- pound .il formed thereon. -I prefer to utilise 50 copper for the electrode II and copper oxide for ,the electronically conducting comp undformedonthe metal member ll. Othertypes of contact rectiners may be used if desired, such as'tho'se" employing selenium or compounds of sulphur for v55 the layer ll. Joined. thereto! use all! or plate altemating current system applied to its termi i'erred dimensions as illustrative and not as limitmember I2 and in case of an assembly of several units, this contact member also bears against another metal member [2 with its electronically connecting compound II. The contact member l2 preferably has a larger area than the copper a plate I 0 with its oxide layer 1 l. The structure of the disk is preferably that of flat annular rings'having a central opening l5 for the passage of a bolt I6 therethrough having suitable tightening nuts II. To the outer annular area l8 of thecontact member I2 is secured a container I! having a cooling medium preferably in the form of a hollow tubular member extending around the major portion of the periphery I8 and welded orsoldered integrally to the contact member. The tubular member I 8 has oil?- set ends 20 for the attachmentof a hose or other connection 2| of insulating' material to pass a cooling medium, such as water or a refrigerant, through .the hollow tubular member l8 and to withdraw this cooling medium therefrom. Where a series of elements are utilized as in Fig. 1, the container on the contact member may be connected in series or parallel with the other tubular; members of the other units. The contact member I2 is preferably of copper.

Various contact discs or extensions 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 may be utilized as desired. The arrangement in Fig. 1 is adapted to have an nals 22 and 23. The current will enter at 22 and pass through a copper oxide' unit into the positive terminal 25. The returncurrent from the direct current load will pass from the contact 24 through the copper oxide units-to the alternating contact 23. The next half cycle the alternating current entering at 23 will pass through the copper oxide unit to the 'positive contact .25 and the return current from the direct current load will enter contact 26 and pass through the rectifying units to the'alternating current contact 22. v

V In Figs. 1 and 2, I have placed certain pre- 11 8 my invention thereto. 1

In Figs. 3 and 4. I have illustrated the metal disc 30' having its electronically conducting compound ll formed thereon and in contact with a container 32. This container-is preferably in the form of a hollow casing having a passage for the circulation of water therethrough from an inlet 38 to an outlet 34 and to the next casing The casing is preferably by means of a hose 2|. that of two annular plates 35 and. with a rim portion 21 and a hub portion 28. The hub portion 38 is perforated for the passage of bolt 39 therethrough and the bolt 39 has suitable binding nuts I thereon. Suitable electrical connecting discs ll may be spaced as desired for the pur pose of electrical connections to the contact recifier.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a modification of the invention of Fig. 4, in which the electronically conducting compound 50 is formed directly upon the sides 5| of the container 52 otherwise constructed similar to the container 32 in Figs.

3 and 4. I

Fig. 6 illustrates how the electronically 'conducting compound may be formed on the circular disk SI and then the circular disk attached by screws 53 to the casing of the controller 52.

At certain times a warm or hot medium may be circulated through the conduits as in outdoor installations in winter time or where a certain temperature is necessary for tests.

It is apparent that many modifications may be made in the form, arrangement and numbers of elements disclosed in the preferred embodi ments specifically illustrated in the drawing. As an example, the disk NJ in Fig. 1 may be inch thick, but if it is not desired to utilize this thickness for the copper plate, then a thinner disk .05

inch thick may be used with an accessory spacer of inexpensive metal, such as iron, about inch thick. The copper contact plate l2 must be thick enough to support-the tubular member I9 and inch copper.

also thick enough to carry off the heat developed and yet not too thick to add to the cost of the device. The thickness can be from ,4 inch to & inch, preferably about 50 mils. The strips 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 can be very thin, as of 5 Accordingly, I desire only such limitations to be placed on the-following claims as are necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. An article comprising a plate contact member, a metal member adjoining said contact member, said plate contact member having an area outside of its contact portion with said metal 'member, a container for a cooling medium integrally secured to said area of the plate contact member and a layer of an electronically conducting compound on said metal member.

2. An article comprising a contact membe having a large plate area, a copper member in contact with a portion only of the plate area of said contact member, a layer of copper oxide on said copper and a hollow tubular member integrally secured to the plate area of said contact member to form a channel for a cooling medium.

3. A rectifier unit comprising a copper plate oxidized on one face, a contact plate having a portion of its surface contiguous to said one face, and a cooling medium enclosed within a channelmaking good thermal contact with another portion of the surface of said contact plate.

CARL C. HEIN. 

